Getting Started with Google Business Photos

Local intent fuels billions of searches each month, making local search critical for growing a business in the real and digital worlds. 

Google business photos can bring a company to life with still images or 360-degree interactive tours, which can help brands stand out on Google search results. When potential customers search for businesses by name on Google, they will see the images displayed directly on the search results page. Google's website states, "These images will also be published on Google+ Local pages, Google Maps and other Google properties and give customers a better sense of the layout, decor and beauty of your business interior. Using easy-to-use html snippets or Maps APIs, you can also link to these images from your own business website, attracting potential customers who visit your website too."

To get started, companies must select a Trusted Photographer or Trusted Agency. Marketers can search by state. These photographers will take high-quality photos of building interiors, which will then be transformed into 360-degree panoramic imagery and walk-through of a business by Google. 

Chicago-based VHT Studios is certified by Google as a Trusted Agency for Google's fast-growing Business Photos program and helps its clients entice consumers to visit their establishments.

"Business owners want their businesses to be seen in the places consumers are looking. They also want their businesses to stand out and be presented in the best light possible," said Brian Balduf, CEO of VHT Studios. "That's where the combination of Google Plus, Google Maps, Google Search and VHT Studios' See Inside Photography becomes a powerful tool for them." 

Chicago-based Caffe Baci and Caffe RoM Owner Joe Di Carlo says VHT Studios has helped them increase sales by offering consumers who haven't visited them yet a great view of what they've been missing and why they should come in.